Aphasia
Aphasia is an acquired neurogenic language disorder resulting from an injury to the brain, typically the left hemisphere, that affects the functioning of core elements of the language network. Aphasia involves varying degrees of impairment in four primary areas:
- spoken language expression
- written expression
- spoken language comprehension
- reading comprehension
For people with aphasia, speech and language therapy aims to:
- help restore as much of your speech and language as possible (reduce impairment)
- help you communicate to the best of your ability (increase activity and participation)
- find alternative ways of communicating (use compensatory strategies or aids)
- provide information to patients and their relatives about aphasia